Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Promised Queen by Jeffe Kennedy Narrator: Gabrielle Baker
Series: Forgotten Empires #3
Published by Tantor Audio on May 25, 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Length: 14 hours and 39 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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In The Promised Queen, the thrilling finale to Jeffe Kennedy's Forgotten Empires trilogy, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Con, Lia, and their allies sacrifice everything in a final bid to destroy the corrupt empire. Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls. Conri, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn't the haven it once was. Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other-and in love-to fend off ultimate disaster.
The Promised Queen is the last book in The Forgotten Empires Trilogy. We have come a long way with ConrÃ, former Crown Prince of Oriel, and Queen Euthalia of Calanthe. It is very hard to go into even vague parts of this book without spoiling the first two.
They are an unlikely pair who come together to try to save everyone from the evil Emperor Anure, who has taken over several kingdoms. There is a true ragtag group of people who band together against all odds to overcome their dire situation.
We learn a lot about several characters in this story. We learn more about Lia and her past, and her ties to Calanthe. There are also several revelations about Ambrose and Merle, the magician who has been guiding Con and Lia and his raven, Merle. I really liked hearing more about these two. I’ve liked Merle since the beginning and I loved learning more about him.
This was a really fun trilogy, which I highly recommend for anyone who loves fantasy. There is some romance, as Con and Lia join together, first to fulfil a prophecy and then to defeat Anure. But the romance between the two grows, though there are some hurdles along the way.
Narration:
Gabrielle Baker narrates the last two books of the series (Elizabeth Brook performs the first book). She does a great job changing her voice when she changes POV, so it was very easy to tell whether we were getting Con versus Lia’s point of view (this was a bit of an issue with the first audiobook). I really got lost into the story and the characters. I would for sure listen to her narrate another audiobook.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Gabrielle Baker
Gabrielle Baker is a highly respected and experienced British voice actor with her own studio at her home in Kent, England. A trained actor, she has become a bestselling audiobook narrator for award-winning authors around the world.
Gabrielle has a natural RP British accent and is also experienced with accents such as Dublin, Cork, Scottish, Australian, and most regional British accents. More than anything Gabrielle describes herself as a “storyteller,” and her love and passion for audiobooks has seen her rise in the industry over the last few years. She has a strong following of listeners and authors who seek out her work, and she has been described as ” . . . an auditory joy!”
About Jeffe Kennedy
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author whose works include novels, non-fiction, poetry, and short fiction. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award.
Her award-winning fantasy romance trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms hit the shelves starting in May 2014. Book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review and was nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose received a Top Pick Gold and was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014. The third book, The Talon of the Hawk, won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015. Two more books followed in this world, beginning the spin-off series The Uncharted Realms. Book one in that series, The Pages of the Mind, has also been nominated for the RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2016 and won RWA’s 2017 RITA® Award. The second book, The Edge of the Blade, released December 27, 2016, and is a PRISM finalist, along with The Pages of the Mind. The next in the series, The Shift of the Tide, will be out in August, 2017. A high fantasy trilogy taking place in The Twelve Kingdoms world is forthcoming from Rebel Base books in 2018.
She also introduced a new fantasy romance series, Sorcerous Moons, which includes Lonen’s War, Oria’s Gambit, The Tides of BÃ ra, and The Forests of Dru. She’s begun releasing a new contemporary erotic romance series, Missed Connections, which started with Last Dance and continues in With a Prince.
In 2019, St. Martins Press will release the first book, The Orchid Throne, in a new fantasy romance series, The Forgotten Empires.
Her other works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion; an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera; and the erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, which includes Going Under, Under His Touch and Under Contract.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
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I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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Hi Mel, great review. I’ve heard good things about this series thanks for sharing
Thanks. I really enjoyed this series.
Glad the final book gave a satisfying finish for you. I’m a sucker for a rag tag group out to save things.
Same here. I loved these characters so much.
I enjoyed this one too. The descriptions throughout the series were so lush.
They really were wonderful.
I haven’t read this book or the series but all the review I’ve read make it seem really good.
For me, it was the characters that really made the series. I just loved my time with them so much.
I had a good time with this end as well!
I love it when a series ends well. So many kinda fall flat with that last book. That was not the case here.
Glad the ending satisfied and you had fun with this series. I have it on my wishlist.
I hope you get a chance to try this series. I think you would really enjoy it.
It would have been interesting to listen for sure, but alas I read and enjoyed it 😀
I could’ve read this one, if it hadn’t been on audio (actually did read the first book and then listened to the audio when it was available).
So glad this series ended on a good note for you! Was it tough adjusting to a new narrator after the first book?
Not really, because I had a few issues with the first narrator. She did differentiate enough between the POVs that I would get lost at the change. This narrator changed her tone enough to know which POV you were currently in.